Electrical switch



C. H. HODGKINS.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICAUGN FILED NOV- 16, I917- 1,414,41 3, Patented May 2, 1922.

INVENTOR 07a rles H. fladq/(ms W Ww/ W ATTORNEY UNITED STATES";

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. HODGKIN S, ,OF PITT$BURG PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTING-HQU E ELE TRIC d MANUFAQ URING G MPANY, A CORPORATION O PENNSYL- VANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Patented May 2, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Hono- Kiss, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inElectrical Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to overload trip switches and particularly to meansforefl'ecting the resetting of such switches.

(lne object of my invention is to provide an overload trip switch of theabove-indicated character with electrically operated means for resettingthe switch when the same has been opened.

In overload trip switches which are o in service, means, such as lgtiflar r Vl(l9(l for holding in an pen posi ll 112111 the latches areremoved to permit the resettin of the switches. Thus, when overload tripswitches, which are now in service on supply lines, are constantlysubjectcd to overloads, it is essential to provide means for quickly andand conveniently resetting the switches when the same have been openedto break the power circuits. Moreover, it is desirable to provideremotely disposed means for effecting a resetting of the switches.

In a system constructed in accordance with my invention, an electricallycontrolled means, that may be controlled at a distance from the switchis provided for releasing the latch which maintains the trip switch inan open position, 3

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partlyin section, of a switch constructed in accordance with my invention; andFig. 2 is a front elevational view of the switch illustrated in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing, a switch 1 is mounted upon a frame 2 that issecured to a support 3 in any suitable manner, as for example, by bolts4. The switch 1 embodies a coil 5 that is mounted within the supportin;bracket 2, a core member 6 which operates within the coil 5 and iscontrolled thereby. a daslnpot T for governing the action of the coremember 6. and a switch member 8.

Thc switch member 8 is pivotally mounted upon the supporting bracket 2and is pro- Yllllll with a contact member 9 for bridging two contactterminals ll) and 11 that are mounted upon the support 3, when theswitch is in a closed position. The switch member 8 is also providedwith a projecting portion 12 to be engaged by a latch 18, for a purposeto be set forth hereinafter. A spring 14: is provided for normallymaintaining the switch member 8 in a position to bridge the contactterminals 11) and 11.

An arm 15, which is pivotally connected, intermediate its ends. to thesupportin bracket 2, has a latch 13 formed on one end thereof and has anarmature 16 connected to the other end thereof which is operated bymeans of a coil 17. A non-magnetic coil sp g 18, which is mounted on thesupportng'brackct 2, is provided for maintaining the arm in a positionto maintain the latch 13 in engagement with the portion 12 of the switchmember 8.

Adjacent to the contact terminals 10 and 11, are provided two auxiliarycontact terminals 19 and 21) which are bridged by a switch member 21when the contact member 9 breaks contact with the contact terminals 10and 11. The switch member 21 is pivotally mounted on the contactterminal arid is provided with an arm 22 which is operated by the switchmember 8 to 'disconmeet the contact member 21 from the contact terminal19 whenever theswitch member 9 bridges the contact terminals 10 and 11.A plunger 23, which is mounted on the bracket 2, is operated by the coremember 6 to release the switch member 8. A push button 24 is providedfor completing a circuit through the coil 1? whenever the switch 1 is ina released position and the contact terminals 19 and 20 are bridged bythe Contact member 21.

In case the trip switch is in the position illustrated in thc drawingand the coil 5 is subjected to an ovcrload, the plunger 23 is moved bythe core member b to give the switch member 8 a rotative movement inorder to break contact betwecn the contactterminals 10 and ll and thecontact mcmbcr 9 and to permit the latch 13 to engage the proat anydistance from the operating part 01 the trip switch, is operated tocomplete a circuit from the battery through the coil 17. Thus, the coil17 is energized to attract the armature l6 and to raise the latch 13 ina manner to permit the coil spring 14 to close the switch member 8.

Modifications in the apparatus and arswitch when said switch is closedand means 5, A switch mechanism comprising two windings, two pivotedmembers of substanrangement and location of parts may be.

made within the spirit and scope of my invention, and such modificationsare intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switch mechanism comprising a v pivoted contact-controlling memberhaving a circuit closing and a circuit opening position, and a latchmember yieldingly engaging the pivoted member in one position of thepivoted member and restraining said member in its other position whensaid pivoted member is actuated thereto. A

2. A. switch mechanism comprising a pinrality of stationary contactmembers, a bridging member therefor, a pivoted mem: her for supportingand controlling the pivoted member, means gt'or causing the bridga ingmember to yieldingly engage the stat tionary contact members and a latchmember normally yieldingly engaging the pivoted member and adapted torestrain said member in a predetermined biased position upon thedisengagement of the stationary contact members by said pivoted memberand the actuation thereof to the predetermined biased position.

25. A switch mechanism comprising a main switcl1,-a pivoted member of Lshape having tially L-shape respectively controlled thereby, one of themembers supporting a contact member at one end and adapted to be engagedand latched at the other end by the second member when the former memberis actuated to the open position of the switch and a pivoted auxiliarycontact member controlled at one end by the contact-bearing member andat the other end by a spring member, the main contact and the auxiliarycontact members being so disposed that one is disengaged when the otheris engaged with its corresponding stationary contact member.

6. A switch mechanism comprising an operating coil, a switch, a pivotedsupport: ing member therefor, a latch for maintaining the pivoted memberin a biased position, a core member having relatively large inertiasubject to the energization of the operating coil, a movable memberdisposed in the path of the core member and adapted, upon the impact ofthe core lllel'liblf bt). move the supportr'ng member t0 u P S BQ Awhich it may be engage and rbv the latch.

7. A switch mechanism comprising ,p pivotally mounted switch member, aspring for normally maintaining the switch ,member in one position and alatch directly en-i gaging the switch member for restraining the switchmember in another position, and operating mechanism therefor comprisinga a contact member disposed at one end and a coil, a pin member havingrelatively small controlling spring at the other, a main winding foractuating the pivoted member, a latching member of L-shape adapted toengage and to restrain the spring end of the pivoted member, a springdisposed at the other end of the latching member to control the movementthereof, and an auxiliary winding disposed adjacent thereto having itsaxis perpei'idicular to that of the main winding and utilizing thesupporting structure thereof for its magnetic circuit.

4.. A switch mechanism comprising two windings disposed with their axesperpendicular to each other, pivoted members of substantially L-shapeactuated by each winding, a spring member for controllin; the artnationof the pivoted members, a contact member disposed on one oi the pivot-edmembers, the other pivoted member being adapted to engage and to latchthe contact-bearin member when said member is actuated, an auxiliaryswitch opened by the main inertia l'or actuating the switch member toits latcliwontrolled position and ap inde! pendently movable core memberhaving relatively large inertia. and responsive to the, coil to quicklyactuate the pin member hav ing the small inertia to actuate the switchmember.

8. A switch cornrnising a contact member, a pivoted supporting membertherefor, resilient means for biasing the pivoted mem her to oneposition. a movable member having relatively small inertia and movablein a direction to counter-balamre the biasing effort of the resilientmeans, and a latch to engage and restrain the pivoted member in a secondbiased position upon the counterbnlanring ot' the resilient means by the1nOv able member.

in testimony \\'licreol' l have hereunto subscribed my name this 24thday of Oct, 19] 7.

CHARLES H. HUDGKINS.

